Wine Wednesday: Pairing Wine with Pumpkin Dishes

October has become one of my favorite times of year in Europe. I’ve really become to appreciate the change in seasons, especially after living in the desert for more than 10 years. The leaves begin to turn shades of gold and orange, grapes are harvested and all my favorites for eating appear at the local markets, and pumpkin dishes pop up on menus across the continent. I never really had pumpkin in anything but a pie until a few years ago, when I was introduced to it as a staple of fall cuisines of Northern Italy. Now pumpkin soups, risottos, pastas and even pumpkin pizza are all favorites. What to drink with pumpkin dishes? Pumpkin is so versatile that there’s no one go-to wine to pair with it; the other components in the dish determine which wine will bring out the flavors. Here are some suggestions for pairing wine with pumpkin dishes:

Pumpkin risotto and Prosecco are a match made in heaven

Prosecco

Prosecco is Italy’s famed sparkling wine hailing from the Veneto region. The clean, light flavors of the sparkling white lift the floral flavors of pumpkin without accentuating the sweetness. A dry Prosecco, like Ca’ Salina Valdobbiadene Superiore D.O.C.G Brut, with pumpkin risotto.

Amarone pairs perfectly with a rich pumpkin soup

Amarone

The opulent roundness and rich spiciness of Amarone is a perfect match with a creamy pumpkin soup, creating a savory harmony. Drizzle a bit of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena over the pumpkin soup and let some thin chips of grana padano melt into the soup. Sip with Allegrini Estates 2008 Amarone.

Kurbis Secco

Kurbis Secco is a German sparkling pumpkin wine that is wonderfully light and delicate with a slightly nutty taste. It is delicious with just about any pumpkin dish, including roast pumpkin or ravioli stuffed with pumpkin. Try it with pumpkin ravioli simply topped with olive oil, a bit of fresh cinnamon, and some grated Parmigiano.

Roasted pumpkin seeds taste great with any white wine

Friuliano

One of the most typical wines of the Friuli Venezia Giuli region of Italy, Friuliano is slightly fruity with scents of white peach and tastes of bitter almonds. It’s commonly the house white wine and is delicious with a pumpkin and sausage pizza that is easily found throughout the region.

Photo courtesy of Williams-Sonoma

Vinsanto

Vinsanto is a Greek dessert wine found in Santorini and predictably, it pairs wonderfully with the classic pumpkin pie. The wine’s sweetness matches that of the pumpkin pie. It exudes wonderful honey notes, ripe apricot, and sweet spices that complement pumpkin pie like cinnamon and clove.

What recommendations do you have for pairing wine with pumpkin dishes? Tell us in the comments!

We are big pumpkin fans in my house. I’m not much of a baker or cook, but this time of year I make a lot of pumpkin pies. I also love trying unusual dishes with pumpkin. The pumpkin risotto is super tempting!

I have a recipe I’m going to try out. The risotto pictured was at a restaurant. It was so good and most of the time restaurants have a minimum of 2 people to order it. Risotto isn’t Tim’s favorite, so I’d like to be able to make it at home. If the recipe turns out well, I’ll share it with you. =)

Kurbis Secco is a German wine. We've not seen it in Italy. Most restaurants will serve pumpkin dishes especially at this time of the year. The town of Venzone is particularly famous for their pumpkin dishes.

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Meet Jennifer & Tim

We’re Jennifer and Tim. We’re professional travel writers who love adventure and wine, so we often try to combine the two! By day, you’ll find us out on some crazy adventure like snorkeling in Iceland in winter or on a long distance hut-to-hut hike in the Dolomites, but by night, we’re creatures of comfort. If you’re looking for a travel blog about a long-term around-the-world journey, how to travel on $50 a day or less or traveling with kids, Luxe Adventure Traveler isn’t it. Our award-winning travel blog is all about heart pumping adventures, world class accommodations and luxury experiences. Read more...

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